Free State girls fall to Seaman

Box score

Topeka Seaman (53)

Searcy 2-4 0-0 4, Thomas 2-4 1-2 5, Heald 3-6 5-6 11, Legette 7-12 2-4 16, McMillan 2-8 1-4 5, Henry 2-3 4-4 10, Hiegert 0-0 1-2 1, Smith 0-1 1-2 1, Totals 18-38 15-24 53.

Free State (39)

Jadlow 0-2 0-0 0, Piper 3-13 6-6 13, Wiebe 2-8 1-2 6, Shade 4-17 4-4 15, Kahler 1-3 0-1 2, Hickman 0-0 0-0 0, Shoemaker 0-2 0-0 0, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, McClorey 0-1 0-0 0, Hickman 1-1 1-1 3, Totals 11-47 12-14 39.

Topeka Seaman 23 9 12 9 — 53

Free State 9 7 18 5 — 39

Three-point goals: Topeka Seaman 2-6 (Henry 2), Free State 4-27 (Shade 3, Piper 1). Turnovers: Topeka Seaman 7, Free State 7. Total fouls: Topeka Seaman 15 (fouled out: McMillan), Free State 16 (fouled out: Wiebe)

Free State’s girls found themselves in a deep hole in the first quarter, trailing 20-5 after a 12-0 run by Topeka Seaman.

Without the firepower, depth and experience of last year’s team, the young Firebirds did not quit and actually threatened the Vikings early in the second half before falling.

Down 23-9 at the end of the first quarter and 32-16 at the end of the half, Free State started the second half on a 10-1 run with better ball movement, which resulted in making four of its first five shots. Less than three minutes into the second half, Free State trailed just 33-26.

Topeka Seaman then went on an 11-5 run.

“We came out and battled and made a game out of it in the third quarter, but the problem is we got in such a big hole,” Free State coach Bryan Duncan said. “We are not real deep on the bench, and we lost that energy pretty quickly after three to four minutes in the third, and we were pretty worn out.”

Millie Shade and Madison Piper scored 15 and 13 points respectively for Free State, which made just 11 of 47 shots, including four of 27 from three-point range.

Both Free State teams will travel Friday to Shawnee Heights (girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30) and then host Lansing on Saturday (girls at 5:30, boys at 7).